This is my 84 Eagle Sedan. I stumbled upon this baby on on craigslist while looking for a two door. Couldnt pass it up. No rust anywhere but she had sat for a while so have been combing through it seeing what has decayed etc. Has original 36,000 miles on engine and needs a few things here and there. Typical headliner issue, sun visors missing and hardware for them busted somehow, passenger spring is broken, brakes and calipers need changed, time for new tires and possibly rims- otherwise I got pretty lucky. Have all parts but the visors on hand as we speak. I also intend to repaint her in some exotic fashion. I am sure other things will pop up but I am having a good time cleaning her up and changing out the bad parts.
(http://i1170.photobucket.com/albums/r532/Wahool_monk/eagle.jpg)
Nice find! Have fun getting it all fixed up!
awesome 4 door. Looking forward to watching this project.
Count me in on following this car!
Also I have a drivers side sun visor, but not the bar with the bracket on it..if you are still in need of a visor. I also have the passenger visor with no hardware, but it was a vanity mirror which I have removed for my car.
IIRC, mid-80's to early-90's Chevy/GM (blazer/jimmy, s10/sonoma, etc.) visor mounts are about the same as our Eagles. I actually need new mounts myself but my visors are still good, so I just pulled the old mount and bar out of my visors and I will be replacing them with some Chevy/GM mounts and bars.
Quote from: MudPuppy on March 28, 2012, 10:31:13 PM
IIRC, mid-80's to early-90's Chevy/GM (blazer/jimmy, s10/sonoma, etc.) visor mounts are about the same as our Eagles. I actually need new mounts myself but my visors are still good, so I just pulled the old mount and bar out of my visors and I will be replacing them with some Chevy/GM mounts and bars.
Great tip MudPuppy. Those mounts on our Eagle visors are pretty poorly built. I thought it was some cheap pot metal, but after messing with them the last couple days I'm pretty sure it it just silver painted plastic.
Hey Nate. Visors are in the mail and on they way to you. The counter lady told me you should see them on Saturday. I included the only screw I could find that I think was one that held up the driver side in my Eagle.
Quote from: rohnk on March 28, 2012, 10:58:14 PM
I included the only screw I could find that I think was one that held up the driver side in my Eagle.
I have 3 extra screws...I'm sure you can probably find ones close to the whole rohn included, but if you can't just let me know.
Rohns visors came in! (swoon, my hero! Yes I have no shame. THANK YOU ROHN) :hello2:
All screws still in the broken mounts in my car. They look a little stripped but gonna see if I can get them out in good shape. If I can't salvage them I'll speak up you betcha.
I'm always trying something weird so my next plan is to play a game with welding bond and recreate the mounts. If my plan goes well no one will be able to tell the difference. Will toss up before and after pics on here.
Car should be back from my buddy with the spring tool here in a few days. Had him put two new ones in (I personally don't install things that can rip someones head of two football fields away) and also asked him to put the calipers and breaks etc on while he was in there. Just made more sense. I will show before and after on that as well. Seems I accidentally started a thread running on that in the wanted section so its probably best if I continue it out here.
Question: If I were to make the trim black as well as the vinyl top... what color would look best, besides white, on the main body...
A grey or dark grey would look pretty cool. Or red. Orange? Lots of colors would look good with black.
Quote from: Prafeston on April 01, 2012, 12:54:51 AM
A grey or dark grey would look pretty cool. Or red. Orange? Lots of colors would look good with black.
x2. there's quite a bit you can do with a black interior. Pretty much the 'Sky's the limit' here.
Yeah, I've always liked the black/grey SX/4. Would be cool to see it on a sedan.
(http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc377/shanebo79/124282-1.jpg)
DGEagle's sedan is black on black and looks really sharp. Just won Eagle of the Month last month.
(http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e130/gehrkinator75/kenosha021.jpg)
Well as it stands my car has been in the shop now for two weeks. :censored: Seems standard spring tools dont work on our cars so now hes hunting a kenmoore j23-474. Whatever that is. Says he cant find one, so either I can just tow my car home with no springs in it or wait I suppose. Because of tha too Im stuck not being able to work on anything or put the visors in. He says it could be a while before I get my car back.
Sounds like you just need to take it to someone that does have the right tools.
Most any center pull spring compressor should work, they are all over the bay, they are also available at Oreilly here for like 40 ish, or a better version from Napa(sorry don't remember the part number) I have an ancient one exactly like the one from O'Reilly, worked great on my 82
Quote from: Prafeston on April 05, 2012, 12:45:12 PM
Sounds like you just need to take it to someone that does have the right tools.
Or the ingenuity to make it work...
Tiny place I live in. If there wasnt a 20 bed hospital here I would have nowhere to work lol. So hense the size of this resort town, options are minimal. Did talk to a few online places today and have a couple of leads. These guys have tried every spring tool between here and a 100 mile radius. So far no one can get those springs to collapse 1.5 inches lol. They even utilized ratchets to accompany the tool without luck. Makes me wonder how high this things gonna sit when its all said and done :notworthy:
I have in the past when I was in a hurry & didn't want to crank a spring compressor all the way down put the compressor inside the spring then used a shop press(20 Tom in my case, but a 12 would work too), pressed down on the spring then snugged up the spring compressor to hold it compressed, release the preasure on the press, and Wallla, compressed spring put it in the car, put weight on the wheels, loosen compressor the rest of the way, unhook & pull up through the top...
as an alternative hows this: would this tool from automotive specialty tools inc. work?
SGT62200 think its at www.etoolcart.com/coilspringcompressor-sgt62200.aspx
We had a user selling compressors he built for our springs. I don't know whether they are still available. I haven't been able to find it lately. It may have been lost in our last great delete.
If you will search on this forum for "coil spring compressor" you may find something.
Quote from: Wahoola Monk on April 05, 2012, 06:43:39 PM
as an alternative hows this: would this tool from automotive specialty tools inc. work?
SGT62200 think its at www.etoolcart.com/coilspringcompressor-sgt62200.aspx
That's the same as mine, or real close, so it should work
Quote from: Wahoola Monk on April 05, 2012, 06:43:39 PM
as an alternative hows this: would this tool from automotive specialty tools inc. work?
SGT62200 think its at www.etoolcart.com/coilspringcompressor-sgt62200.aspx
I couldn't tell if that would work, but many off the shelf compressors don't because AMC's use a large diameter spring. I purchased the spring compressor a few years back from a guy that was recommended. He went by the name Garyjav or something like that. If you look on Ebay there are a couple that are similar to the ones he made which were copies of the original AMC tool. They work, but are a little labor intensive since you use the shock tower to compress the spring.
Looks like we are dead in the water for now folks. The mechanics seem heck bent on finding the original tool since they aren't comfortable with today's tools. Unless someone has one I can borrow, she's gonna be collecting dust for a while.
Rohn found one on the bay that's supposed to work with Javelin's and a few other AMC cars...considering the Javy coils will fit on an Eagle and are a little beefier I'd think the tool should work for you. Not sure of the price though.
If the shop is going to play games like that, I would take it someplace else and have them pay the expense of towing it.
Search for "AMC Coil Spring" on the auction site and you will find a tool that will work. As Rafe mentioned.
I emailed the seller and he thinks it will work on the Eagle. As long as the tool can fit down the shock tower in place of the strut, it should work very well.
Anyone mind posting a pic of this tool?
Ok found those. Different than I imagined. Only ones I have ever seen before have the claw ends.
I'm out of the state at this time, but if I can find mine when I get home you can borrow it. It would require shipping from central Arkansas.
Appreciate the offer Jim! I went ahead and ordered this and a thrust bearing:
(http://i1050.photobucket.com/albums/s407/Wahoola_Monk/82eb4df7.jpg)
The guy selling it seems pretty down to earth and will send detailed instructions and pics to my mechanic along with his phone number. I should have it in by the end of the week. Will be interesting to see how this is going to work.
Well Rohn, it looks like we got our guinea pig! :)
What can I say.... Hmmm... maybe thats what I should name the car. Call her Miss Piggy for short. :rotfl:
Thanks for taking one for the team. Let us know how it works out. I may order one as well.
Tool supposedly in tomorrow. Will let you guys know how it well it goes!
Tool arrived and has been delivered... I cant be upset with my mechanic for having the car so long since he has been a great help to me prior to this car. He is very creative - yet very cautious at the same time. Cant blame him for not wanting to have anyone get hurt. A wild spring is no joke. So I suppose its not his fault all other makes and models are merely mortal (as are the puny tools some modern guy thought up) lol.
Lets see how long till I get her back now...
Think we can get some pics of him using the tool? I'd like to see how it works in an Eagle and get his input on it.
I can ask him
You gonna put in any spacers to give it a bit of a lift while the coils are out? If not it would still be nice to see if just adding the Javy coils gives it any lift.
He says the tool works like a charm and wants to order one for himself. I will have my car back tues and hopefully some pics to share.
That's good news! Did he get any pics as he was using it?
Sweet deal Nate! Love to hear that. Maybe you can let him keep the tool and make a deal for a reduction in the price for installation?
or
You can keep it and loan it to your friends on the Nest! >:D